This past week was the most stressful and anxiety inducing I’ve had in this post-Covid world. There were a lot of unknowns and variables (a general source of anxiety for me), but by the end of the week everything fell into place. I physically felt relief (like literally, felt my chest loosen up and my body relax like it hadn’t in months) once it was all over. Still, not much mental capacity left for blogging this weekend. I wanted to just take the time to recharge before resuming my normal schedule (no more three day weekends) and finding out what my new normal is. Long story short, still speaking in vague terms, everything is looking okay and stable for now.
Arkansas – Last week’s rental from Alamo. Kinda unremarkable crime thriller. Vince Vaughn and Liam Hemsworth were great (I do love Vaughn’s turn towards dark and serious). Clark Duke looks too much like an ex I don’t wanna be reminded up, so that was offputting. Just predictable enough that the fresher storylines weren’t very impressive, but still engaging to watch. I think I’m gonna slow down on the rentals going forward tho. I’ve pretty much seen all the MUST movies, and the technology is still a little lacking. I still wanna support the theater tho, so I’ll try to figure out some alternatives.
But I’m a Cheerleader – Very long overdue first time watch, and I didn’t care for it. I recognize why it’s a cult classic, and I absolutely support that this film exists, especially when it was released during such a dearth of queer films (not that we’re doing all that much better). It was just too absurdist and ridiculous for my taste. Partly because that humor is not my style and partly because so much of the absurdity was rooted in truth, it was a little unnerving for me. Still, props for LGBTQ+ stories being told.
Birdman – You ever watch a movie and the only thought running thru your head is “This is AMAZING” on loop, over and over. I’ve seen this before (hell, three times in theaters), but it had been long enough that it was almost a new experience. The acting, the writing, the symbolism, the cinematography, the directing, all of it is truly truly a masterpiece.
The Crying Game – I wrote the other day about the documentary Disclosure, which focused on the portrayal of the transgender community in film, and I talked at length about how The Crying Game fit into that. I rewatched it the other day, with that new context, and it’s like a whole different movie from me. On previous views, I was just so excited to see LGBTQ+ represenation, I didn’t think about the bigger picture. Jaye Davidson gives such a moving performance, but this time it was even more heartbreaking. I was paying more attention to Dil’s story, and the way that she accepts so much abuse because she thinks it’s all she can get is devastating. Plus knowing the affect that this film had on Davidson and his reception and ultimate rejection in Hollywood, it hurts so much more watching him give everything to this role. He deserved better.
Airheads – I’ve been in need of really good laughs lately, and this movie provided. It’s one of those dumb comedies that’s actually much smarter than you’d expect. And I don’t even know which of our trio I love most. Fraser, Buscemi, and Sandler give such endearing performances, all a bit against type, I just can’t get enough.
Boiler Room – TIL (actually yesterday) that this is based on the same source material as Wolf of Wall Street. It just takes a different approach to it, sees it from a different angle. It has a little less bite tho, more like the stray dog of wall street. Ben Affleck steals the film, Giovanni Ribisi is fantastic, and I’m still undecided on if I either really like Vin Diesel or just can’t buy him. It’s worth checking out the alternate ending on the DVD extras too. The theatrical ending feels like proper closure, but the alternate is far less expected (albeit maybe too subtle in its execution). Still, a good choice for when I was in the mood for a talky and dark drama since my pile had way too much light fare in it (I’d taken the positivity rule so far, I was getting numb)